Softball

Tech tops OVC with 13 named NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes

Dec 12, 2012

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Tech softball team had 13 players selected as 2012 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar-Athletes, the most by any school in the Ohio Valley Conference.

The award is bestowed upon any player submitted by a member coach who achieved a 3.50 grade point average or higher during the 2011-12 academic year. The honor marks the second component of the Association's academic award program. Back in late October, the squads with the highest GPAs in each membership category were recognized as 2012 NFCA Top Ten All-Academic Teams. Tech ranked fifth in the nation on that list.

The Ohio Valley Conference had a total of 67 players named from nine of the league's schools. Following Tech's 13 players was Eastern Illinois with 12. Morehead State and Murray State had eight players apiece, followed by Jacksonville State with seven, Southeast Missouri and Tennessee State with six each, UT Martin with five, and SIU Edwardsville with two. Belmont, which joins the OVC this season in softball, had nine players on the list.

The NFCA named All-America Scholar-Athletes in seven different categories. The membership category with the most participating institutions this year proved to be Division I with 140, while Division III was second by boasting 134 teams and high school ranked third with 123.